Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry: Average DAT, GPA, and How to Get In

Numbers below come from the school's own published materials as of July 2026 (each is linked to its source). Admissions stats shift every cycle — treat these as a snapshot and confirm on the school's official admissions page before you apply.

VCU School of Dentistry is a public DDS program in Richmond, Virginia. Almost every figure below comes straight from the school's own Frequently Asked Questions page, which reports its DAT and GPA figures as a rolling multi-year average rather than tying them to one named entering class (like "Class of 2029").

Average DAT score at VCU

VCU's own FAQ page states it plainly: "the Academic Average of incoming students at VCU School of Dentistry has consistently been 430-440 over the past several years." That's the new 200–600 DAT scale, and it's an Academic Average figure, not a breakdown of individual sections like PAT or Reading Comprehension — VCU doesn't publish those on this page. Notice also that this is a multi-year range rather than a number attributed to one specific entering class, so there's no single "Class of 2029 average" to point to here; VCU frames it as a consistent band over recent cycles instead.

Average GPA at VCU

The same FAQ page states: "Incoming students have an average overall GPA of 3.7 and average science GPA of 3.6." As with the DAT figure, VCU presents this as a general incoming-class number rather than tying it to one specific named entering year, per the school's published FAQ.

Class size

Per VCU's FAQ page, "the maximum class size is 95 students, with 60 seats for Virginia residents and 35 seats for non-residents." That resident/non-resident split is worth noting if you're applying from outside Virginia — roughly a third of the class comes from out of state.

Application deadline

VCU's FAQ page states plainly: "To apply to the VCU School of Dentistry, applications must be submitted to AADSAS by Jan. 1." The school's separate Application Process page adds that applying early, by September 1, is encouraged, since most applicants who get invited to interview submit by that earlier date, per the school's own FAQ.

Tuition

VCU doesn't publish tuition figures on the pages we used as sources for this page; check the school's admissions page for the current cycle's cost of attendance.

Where a 430-440 Academic Average lands nationally

VCU's published 430–440 Academic Average range is already on the new 200–600 DAT scale, so you don't need to convert it — but you can still put it in national context. Our DAT score percentiles guide lays out exactly where scores in that band sit against the ADA's official normative data, and our DAT score converter can help if you're comparing an old-scale score against VCU's new-scale range. Remember VCU's number is a published average, not a stated minimum or hard cutoff.

What else stands out about VCU admissions

A few things in VCU's own published FAQ and admission-requirements pages are worth flagging before you apply. First, VCU "strongly encourages a total of 100-150 hours of general practice shadowing" before you submit your application, per the school's FAQ — that's a real range to plan around, not a vague suggestion. Second, VCU gives applicants two ways to satisfy the recommendation requirement: one committee letter packet, or three individual letters, with a minimum of two from life-science professors and one from a practicing dentist, per the admission requirements page. Third, VCU has a hard rule on the DAT itself: scores more than three years old at the time of application will not be considered, and a maximum of three DAT attempts is allowed, per the official admission requirements page. If you're planning your test date around when you'll actually apply, that three-year window and three-attempt cap both matter.